标签 鲸 下的文章

座头鲸 Humpback whale (© Philip Thurston/Getty Images)

座头鲸唱歌的地方 Where the humpback whale sings

世界海洋日

海洋覆盖了地球表面70%以上的面积，因此海洋在调节地球气候和生态系统方面发挥着至关重要的作用。这些浩瀚的海洋支撑着巨大的海洋生物生态系统，美丽的座头鲸也在其中。座头鲸因其“唱歌”而闻名，研究认为这可能是一种孤独的表现。好消息是，随着商业捕鲸活动的结束，鲸鱼的数量有所上升，鲸鱼们也就不太需要再唱孤独之歌了。

虽然鲸鱼可能不再孤独，但它们的生存环境仍然受到气候变化和人类活动的威胁。今天是世界海洋日，我们需要思考海洋的重要性以及人类活动会对其产生的负面影响。

World Oceans Day

Oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface, so it's no surprise they play a crucial role in our planet's climate and ecosystem, supporting a huge amount of marine life. Humpback whales, like the one in our homepage image, can be found in all oceans and have among the world’s longest migrations, traveling thousands of miles from tropical breeding grounds to colder waters in search of food. They are also known for their haunting 'songs.' There are many theories about why they sing, but some research suggests it might be a sign of loneliness. The good news is, that a global ban on commercial whaling has seen their numbers increase, so there is less need for whales to feel lonely.

However, whales' aquatic environment is still at risk from climate change and human action. World Oceans Day is held on June 8 to remind us that the oceans are crucial for the survival of all life on Earth, producing at least half of all the planet's oxygen and home to most of its biodiversity, upon which we all depend.

在新湾潜水的南露脊鲸，阿根廷瓦尔德斯半岛 Southern right whale diving in the Golfo Nuevo near the Valdes Peninsula, Argentina (© Gabriel Rojo/Minden Pictures)

南冰洋里的巨鲸 Giants of the Southern Ocean

Southern right whale

The end of September in the Southern Hemisphere means warming weather and the nearing of summer. For southern right whales like this one off the coast of Argentina, this means a transit southward toward Antarctica and rich feeding grounds. Southern right whales are a subspecies of right whale that inhabit the oceans below the equator. They feed on krill at the surface of the water, holding their mouths open as they swim through clouds of the tiny crustaceans.

Right whales got their names because they were the 'right' whale to hunt, desirable to whalers because they were relatively slow and floated when they died. Right whales are easily identifiable by the thick white calluses on their heads. They tend to be social and curious creatures and have been known to have close encounters with humans. They spend winters in warmer waters closer to the equator. The whale featured today surfaced off the Valdes Peninsula, home to the largest breeding population in the world, and a fitting location for the Southern Whale Natural Monument, created in 1984. In these protected waters, thousands of whales will mate and give birth, staying until October or November, when they will begin their great migration south.

南露脊鲸

南半球的9月底意味着气候变暖和夏季临近。对于阿根廷海岸外的这种南露脊鲸来说，这意味着向南迁移到南极洲和丰富的觅食地。南方露脊鲸是露脊鲸的一个亚种，栖息在赤道以下的海洋中。它们以水面上的磷虾为食，在穿过微小甲壳动物云层时张大嘴巴。

露脊鲸之所以得名，是因为它们是捕鲸的“正确”鲸鱼，捕鲸者之所以喜欢露脊鲸，是因为露脊鲸的速度相对较慢，死后会浮在水面上。露脊鲸头上厚厚的白色胼胝很容易辨认出来。它们往往是社会性和好奇的动物，并且已知与人类有密切接触。它们在靠近赤道的温暖水域过冬。今天，这头鲸鱼在巴尔德斯半岛浮出水面，这里是世界上最大的繁殖种群所在地，也是1984年建立的南方鲸鱼自然纪念碑的合适地点。在这些受保护的水域中，数千头鲸鱼将交配并产子，一直呆到10月或11月，届时它们将开始大规模向南迁徙。

在海洋里畅游的座头鲸和海豚，美国夏威夷州 Humpback whales and dolphins, Hawaii (© drewsulockcreations/Getty Images)

世界鲸鱼日快乐 Wishing you whale of a World Whale Day

Humpback whales and dolphins

As surely as some tourists return to Hawaii each and every year, thousands of humpback whale families, like the one seen in this photo, make an annual winter visit to the waters off Maui. They're the reason behind today's cetacean celebration: World Whale Day. While the observance honors whales of all kinds in all the world's oceans, it was here in Maui that the Pacific Whale Foundation first held the event and timed it to match the yearly return of the humpbacks.

These whales belong to one of at least four populations of humpbacks that live in the North Pacific. This group spends winters breeding and resting up in Hawaii's warm waters before making a summer migration to their feeding grounds in the chilly depths off Alaska. If you visit Hawaii during February, you'll have one of the best opportunities anywhere to spot these majestic marine mammals—and as we see here, maybe you'll spot a few dolphins too!

座头鲸和海豚

正如每年都有一些游客返回夏威夷一样，成千上万的座头鲸家庭，如图中所示，每年都会到毛伊岛附近的水域进行冬季访问。这就是今天鲸类庆祝活动的原因：世界鲸鱼日。当纪念仪式在世界上所有的海洋中都尊敬鲸鱼的时候，在毛伊岛这里，太平洋鲸鱼基金会首先举办了这个活动，并将它定为与驼背的年度回归相匹配。

这些鲸鱼属于生活在北太平洋的座头鲸至少四个种群之一。在夏季迁徙到阿拉斯加寒冷深处的觅食地之前，这群人会在夏威夷温暖的水域进行冬季繁殖和休息。如果你在二月份访问夏威夷，你将有机会在任何地方看到这些壮丽的海洋哺乳动物，正如我们在这里看到的，也许你也会看到一些海豚！